Moontide Embrace (Historical Romance)

by Constance O'Banyon

  Sebastian chose that moment to come out of the house. "Well said, Liberty. It gladdens my heart to see that you are still with us."

  It was all Liberty could do to stand there and look at Sebastian. Her hatred for him was so strong that it almost choked her. "Did you tell my sister that you had me sold to a pirate who was going to resell me to the highest bidder in Tripoli?"

  Bandera swung around to face her husband. "No, he did not tell me that. He said that you and Judah had been lost at sea."

  "Tell my sister the truth, Sebastian. Tell her how you schemed and plotted to get your hands on Briar Oaks," Liberty demanded.

  Sebastian's smile was malignant, and his eyes took on a smoky haze. "I keep trying to be rid of you and my cousin, but you keep turning up." He reached down and removed a dagger from the tip of his boot. "Perhaps I made the mistake of leaving others to do the work for me. This time I will do it myself, so there will be no mistake."

  Oralee, seeing what Sebastian was going to do, made a dive at him, but he sidestepped her and struck her hard across the face. She crumpled at his feet.

  "How dare you," Liberty said, more concerned for the injured servant than for her own safety. She ran to Oralee and dropped down beside her, lifting her head. Oralee's breath was warm on Liberty's hand so Liberty knew she was merely unconscious.

  She raised her eyes to Sebastian, and they were dancing with blazing anger. "You have a lot to answer for, Sebastian. I am going to have the authorities lock you away so you cannot hurt anyone else!"

  Laughter spilled from Sebastian's lips. "You will not be alive long enough to do anything, Liberty. This time I will see that you are dead."

  Liberty watched with horror as he aimed the dagger at her. "I am very good with the dagger, Liberty. I can split a leaf from a tree at fifty paces."

  Bandera looked from her husband to her sister. "No, do not hurt Liberty!" she cried, running forward, just as Sebastian threw the dagger.

  Liberty screamed as Bandera thrust herself between her sister and dagger. She watched in stunned horror as the knife entered Bandera's body! A red stain covered the front of her sister's gown, and she reached out to Liberty, then whispered in a pitiful voice. "I tried to make… it up… up to…”

  As Bandera collapsed into Liberty's arms, Liberty tried to hold onto her, but Bandera's body was limp and she slid to the ground, carrying Liberty with her.

  Liberty did not know how much she had loved her sister until she saw her lying dead at her feet. Kneeling down beside Bandera, she gently removed the dagger from her sister's chest, while staring into blank eyes. She pressed her hands over the wound, frantically trying to stop the flow of blood that now stained her own gown. Blinded by tears, she realized it was futile—her sister was dead!

  Hatred burned in Liberty's eyes as she looked up at Sebastian. "You have killed her!" she cried, horror in her voice. "You will pay for this, Sebastian."

  Sebastian had been silently staring from Liberty to Bandera, stunned because he had killed his own wife. Now he whirled on Liberty. "You and Judah have robbed me of everything, Liberty. You will soon join your sister in death."

  Liberty watched Sebastian pull a derringer out of his breast pocket, knowing she was alone with a man determined to end her life! There was no one to help her. She took a step backward, aware that Sebastian was beyond reason. If only she could make it to the river and into a boat, she might be able to escape from him.

  She took another step backward, while Sebastian watched her suspiciously. "You cannot get away from me this time, Liberty. How beautiful you will be in death. Then you will belong to me alone, and no one can ever take you away from me."

  Liberty had never been so frightened in her life. She turned and ran toward the river knowing Sebastian would not be satisfied until she was dead.

  She was not aware that a strong wind had begun to blow off the Mississippi, or that dark clouds, boiling like an angry sea, had dipped down over her. She ran as fast as she could, but she could hear Sebastian gaining on her. Is this the way my life is going to end? she wondered desperately.

  A sudden pain shot through Liberty's side, and she stumbled and fell to the ground. With her golden hair blowing across her face, she raised her head to see that Sebastian was bearing down on her.

  Judah jumped from his horse and ran down the hill toward Liberty. He saw her trip and fall at the same time he saw Sebastian raise his derringer and take aim. Judah was too far away, and he knew he could never reach Liberty in time to save her. He reached out his hand and cried into the wind. "Help her! Dear Lord, please help my love."

  Judah's eyes were drawn to the river's edge, and he saw Zippora with her arms raised over her head. He was too far away to hear what she was saying, but he could hear her shouting some kind of chant.

  Sebastian had aimed his gun at Liberty's head, and eyes closed, she was waiting for the impact of the bullet. Liberty saw neither Judah nor Zippora, nor did she see Sebastian pause and stare at the old woman with fear in his eyes.

  The wind whipped Zippora's hair and plastered her gown to her thin frame. Her gnarled hands reached into the heavens as she cried out. "Let the hand of revenge strike the spawn of the devil. Let him return from whence he came."

  Judah was running toward Liberty, when a bolt of lightning split the sky. Its jagged edges danced in the air, then pierced Sebastian like an avenging spear. His agonized screams made Liberty look up. She was horrified by what she saw —Sebastian seemed to glow as electricity, from the lightning bolt, jolted throughout his body.

  Liberty felt herself go limp, and she was soon lost in the soft, trouble-free world of unconsciousness. Judah scooped her up in his arms and examined her for wounds. He did not know that the blood which covered her gown, and come from her sister. Finding no injury, he held her tightly to him.

  Zippora appeared at his side and looked into Liberty's face. "She is unconscious. Perhaps it is better that way. Take her away from this scene of death, Judah Slaughter."

  Judah looked into the old woman's strange yellow eyes. "I do not know if you are a devil or an angel —I am not even sure that my eyes have not been deceiving me—but I thank you for saving Liberty's life just now."

  The old woman chuckled. "If I saved her, it is up to you to make her happy."

  Judah smiled at the old woman. "I would be afraid to do otherwise with you around. I would hate to face the consequences.

  "You have nothing to fear from me. Just keep the little one safe. She will need all your love and strength in the weeks ahead."

  Judah lifted Liberty in his arms, and was about to walk away when his eyes fell on Sebastian's body, which was still smoldering. The stench was unbearable, that of burning flesh. Judah spoke to the old woman. "Zippora, did you do what I think you did?"

  She looked at him innocently. "What do you think I did?"

  "Never mind. I don't even want to know. I will send someone over from Bend of the River to deal with this."

  Zippora watched as the tall, handsome Judah Slaughter mounted his horse, his precious burden in his arms. "It is going to be all right, Liberty. That man loves you so much he will help you forget all about the sorrow of this day," she said quietly.

  Then, without a backward glance, Zippora made her way to the river and got into her skiff. As she paddled toward the swamps, the clouds rolled away and the winds calmed, the sun shone down on the river, and birds sang sweetly in the nearby trees.

  27

  For five days Liberty lay in a bed, thinking and feeling nothing. She was aware of shadowy forms that moved about the room, administering to her needs, but she had lost touch with reality. Perhaps she just did not want to remember, knowing she would feel pain if she did.

  One morning she awoke to hear the birds singing in the tree outside her window, and to realize she was at Bend of the River, not Briar Oaks. With each passing day Liberty grew stronger. And at last the day came when she felt well enough to sit up in bed and take some nourishment on her own.


  Liberty stared at the curtains that were stirred by the soft breeze blowing through the open window. She had just bathed herself, and she was reclining on the bed, garbed in a fresh white nightgown. She plucked at the lace on the sleeve of her gown while Gabrielle arranged a vase of bright-colored flowers and then set them on a night table close to her.

  Judah's mother smiled down at her lovely daughter-in-law. "Liberty, I see that you are well on the way to recovery. Do you feel like seeing Judah? I have been hard pressed to keep him away from you so you could rest."

  Liberty felt the muscles in her body tense. She had known this moment would come, and she dreaded it; for she feared Judah would tell her he no longer wanted to be married to her. "I had thought Judah might have sailed away on the Winged Victory."

  "No, he has been here the whole time you were ill. As a matter of fact, it was he who sat up with you at night in case you needed someone." Gabrielle fluffed up Liberty's pillow, then sat down beside her to brush her hair. "You had nightmares and had to have someone with you around the clock. Do you remember that?"

  "No, I don't remember."

  "Perhaps that is a blessing."

  Gabrielle finished brushing Liberty's hair and tied it back with a pink ribbon. "Now you look lovely."

  "Gabrielle, I am sorry to have been so much trouble."

  "Nonsense. You gave me the chance to take care of my new daughter. You could never be trouble to those of us who love you." She kissed Liberty's cheek. "I am going to go out now, and I will send Judah up to see you."

  Liberty felt trapped, for she knew there was no way she could avoid seeing Judah. Would he be angry with her because she had disobeyed him and gone to Briar Oaks alone?

  Moments later he entered the room, but his face was a mask, revealing none of his feelings. Liberty's eyes followed him as he strode to the window and stared out. How handsome he looked in his buff trousers and black boots. His blue cutaway coat was open to reveal an even lighter blue shirt.

  His eyes rested on her face, and he thought how like a little girl she looked. "I am glad to see you are feeling better, Liberty. We have been very concerned about you."

  "I seem to have lost any recollection of some of what happened at Briar Oaks, Judah. Will you fill in the missing pieces for me?"

  He pulled up a chair, and sat down beside her. "As you already know, Oralee is none the worse for her ordeal. However, your sister and Sebastian are both dead. They were both buried here at Bend of the River."

  Tears came to Liberty's eyes, and she whispered, "At last Bandera is at Bend of the River where she always wanted to be."

  Judah wanted to pull Liberty into his arms and assure her that this sadness would pass, but he didn't. All he could do was watch her as she raised her face to him. "Are you angry with me for going to Briar Oaks, Judah?"

  "I should be, but I could never stay angry with you. After you left the ship, I decided to make sure that you were safely at Bend of the River. I was not in the least surprised to find that you had gone to Briar Oaks. When I got there, Sebastian was holding a gun on you. The rest I am sure you will learn in time. Right now you have enough grief to deal with."

  Liberty met his eyes. "What about you, Judah? Are you . . . did you grieve because Bandera is . . . dead?"

  He looked at her, a puzzled expression on his face. "I am sorry only that her passing causes you pain. She was not a good sister to you, Liberty. Oralee has told me how difficult it was for you to grow up in that house with your mother and sister. I never suspected you had been through such hell."

  His eyes held so much kindness, that Liberty felt her heart swell with love for him. "The past is dead, and I suppose it should be put in its proper place. I will try to remember only the good things about Bandera. She ... died saving my life."

  Judah reached out and gripped her hand. "Yes, do remember that, Liberty."

  "Everyone has been so kind to me." She looked into his beautiful eyes. "I want to thank you for all you have done. I am told that you sat by my bed at night."

  Judah reached up and touched her pale cheek. "I did no more for you than you did for me when I was in Zippora's cabin." His eyes danced with mirth when he remembered her coming to him as his lover. "Well, perhaps I did not do quite all that you did for me."

  Her cheeks flamed and she ducked her head. "Judah, I never thought of myself as a weak female who would faint, but it seems I have turned into one."

  "I wouldn't worry about it. You have been through a lot lately. Try to rest and regain your strength."

  "I am strong now, Judah. I want to get out of this bed, but your mother insists that I remain one more day."

  "I can see that you are stronger. Perhaps between the two of us, we can convince her to allow you to get up this afternoon. Would you like that?"

  "Yes, very much."

  His eyes moved across her shining hair to rest on her upturned nose. "I want to tell you a few things that may put your mind at rest. First of all, I did not send for Adriane Pierce, Liberty. She would never have come to the house had she known that you were my wife. Sebastian used her to hurt you."

  "You and she were very close, weren't you?"

  "I will not lie to you, Liberty. At one time we were more than friends."

  "She was very beautiful. Did you love her?"

  "No, Liberty, there was never love between us. At least not on my part. And now I want to clear up any misunderstanding there might have been about Hope Blackburn. To me she was just a bothersome child. I spent most of my time telling her how wonderful you were. I had no feelings for her one-way or the other. She was certainly not my ideal woman."

  "What is your ideal woman?"

  His smile was radiant. "My ideal woman, is a precocious, golden-haired, blue-eyed minx by the name of Liberty Slaughter."

  She leaned back against her pillow, too afraid to believe what he was telling her. "You do not have to be kind to me, Judah. As far as Adriane Pierce is concerned, I realize you would not have brought your mistress into our home. And I know you would not have flirted openly with Hope Blackburn."

  "Liberty, I am glad you realize this. There is no woman in my life save yourself." He smiled down at her. "Now, to move on to a safer subject. Oralee told me how upset you were because your slaves had been sold. With her help, we found them all, and they are now back at Briar Oaks. Also, I have paid off all your father's debts, and at this time I am buying back as many of your treasures as I can find. Oralee seemed to think you would be particularly pleased to learn that I had located the portrait of your Aunt Liberty."

  Welling tears burned Liberty's eyes. "There are no words to express my gratitude to you, Judah," she said, wiping the tears away. "I am most grateful to you for your kindness. I don't know how I will ever repay you."

  "I didn't do it for kindness, Liberty. My motives were not nearly so noble. I wanted to weaken your defenses."

  "What defenses?"

  He crossed his long legs and rested a sun-browned hand against his boot. "The defenses you have built between you and me, Liberty. The ones that stand between us like a wall."

  "There is no wall between us."

  "Is there not?"

  "I ... perhaps there is."

  His golden hair was streaked by the sunlight that filtered through the open window, and she was mesmerized by his handsomeness. She tried to avoid his eyes, but he grabbed her head between his hands and made her look at him.

  "While we were on the Winged Victory, I told you that we needed to talk, Liberty. Do you feel up to it now?"

  "I . . . yes, I suppose." She had no idea what he wanted to say to her, but she prayed he hadn't taken her threats seriously when she had said she did not want to be married to him. She couldn't imagine not being his wife. Even if he did not love her, she still wanted to stay with him.

  "I once asked what you want of me, Liberty."

  "Yes, I remember."

  "Have you thought about it? Do you have an answer for me?"

  She
stared at him in confusion. "I don't know what you mean, Judah."

  "It is very simple, Liberty." He looked deeply into her eyes. "If I can keep you with me, I will do anything—be anything—you want me to be. You have only to tell me what you want, and if it is within my power, it is yours."

  Liberty felt a sob building in her throat. Had she just heard correctly? Was Judah saying that he wanted her? She was blinded by tears as she shook her head, still not understanding. "Please explain what you mean," she choked out.

  "What do I have to do to make you love me, Liberty? Do you want me to be your jester and make you laugh? Would you rather I be your gallant, and drop to my knees whenever you enter a room? How about an adoring lover? I would court and woo you every day, Liberty. I can be all these things for you, if it will make you love me. Tell me what you want of me? I love you so desperately that I don't know how to handle the emotions I am feeling. You see, I have never been in love before and it has me thoroughly confused."

  Liberty felt as if her breathing had stopped. She stared at Judah, thinking she must have misunderstood. She was afraid to believe he loved her. "But you loved . . . Bandera," she said in confusion.

  "No. I was infatuated with her for a few weeks, and thought it was love. I realize now what a puny emotion it was compared with the earth-shattering feelings I have for you, Liberty."

  "Judah, there is something else I have to ask you. Did your grandfather offer you Bend of the River if you would marry me?"

  "He did, but that was not why I married you. I married you because I couldn't live without you."

  Tears ran down Liberty's face, and she reached out her hand to him. "I cannot believe you love me, Judah. Please do not say it if it is not true."

  His hand trembled as he touched her lips. "How can I joke about a love so strong that I cannot even catch my breath when you are near me?" His eyes were shining with unshed tears. "I had thought to put some distance between us until you decided how you felt about me, but I realized that no matter how far I ran, I could never get you out of my mind."